Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-03-31
COMMENTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.
Our Troublesome Surplus - Something
About Immigration.


About Immigration.
There probably never was nation in his
tory that has had financial embarrassment
similar to that which is now disquieting this
country. We have SO much money in our
treasury that we don't know what to do with
it. The receipts are so much larger than the
outgoes that gold, silver and greenbacks are
being locked up and are unemployed, state
of things that really embarrasses trade. which
requires for its transactions the full volume
of our circulating medium. But the sitting
congress will undoubtedly dispose of the sur
plus, not by reducing the tariff or abolishing
the internal revenues, but by making ex-
penditures for sea coast and lake defenses, in
providing a navy and in increasing the PEN
sion fund This last item has swollen to ap-
palling figures. 1t is estimated that the
money paid out for pensions will in time
nearly equal the cost of our civil war, which
was the most exhaustive one known to his
$1,000, ,OOO, 900 in extra payments to those who
entered our military service-a sum sufficient
to have built us a navy, constructed sea coast
defenses, improved our harbors and water
ways and re-established our merchant ma
rine, so that our flag would again be seen in
every important port on the globe. But in
stead of this outlay for national purposes we
have spent it in gratuities to old soldiers and
sailors and their families that were not asked
for. Still these vast sums have been spent
among the poor class, and doubtless have
ha1v <ha foil -
With all our extravaganza we have more
money in the treasury than at present we
know what to do with, for the reason, no
doubt, that unlike Europe, we have no gigan-
tic armies and navies to maintain.
Emigration in the past has moved on iso-
thermal lines. That is, when human beings
in any part of the world wish to change their
place Of living, they 60 westerly and in
stinctively choose regions that reproduce the
climate of their old homes. Hence the Nor
wegian finds his way to Minnesota; so does
the family from Maine. The New Englander
keeps on due west. The German emigrates
to Missouri or Kansas, the Italian to Brazil.
1t is rare that a northern people will seek a
southern climate, or vice versa. When the
Dutch settled on New York bay they chose
Communipaw as their home, because it was
low ard sandy: IN other words. 1t reproduced
the physical characteristics Of Holland. 1t
was, of course, the least desirable of any 10
cality OF the now noble harbor of the metrop-
oils. All former emigrations were due west;
but a change has come, and the iron and
coal fields of the central zone Of our southern
states are new centers Of attraction for tens
of thousands of northern families. A new
Pennsylvania is growing up in northern
Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, in Ten
nessee, North Carolina and southwestern
Virginia. The change is so marvellous as to
be almost incredible. In region heretofore
given over to cotton growing, there are now
mills, iron foundries, as well as the most
diversified industries; a reproduction, in
short, of the workshops Of New England and
the middle states. The old south has passed
away forever, and a new south, which, in its
industrial occupations is indistinguishable
from the north. has taken its place